Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
Email marketing generates $36 for every $1 spent
87% of B2B marketers say email is one of their top free organic distribution channels
99% of email users check their inbox every day
Direct mail has an average response rate of 9% for house lists
Direct mail response rates are 5 to 9 times higher than any other advertising channel
73% of American consumers say they prefer being contacted by brands via direct mail because they can read it whenever they want
SMS marketing open rates are as high as 98%
60% of consumers read texts within 1 to 5 minutes after receiving them
SMS messages have a 209% higher response rate than phone, email, or Facebook
54% of marketers state that data quality is the biggest barrier to success
Acquiring a new customer is anywhere from 5 to 25 times more expensive than retaining an existing one
76% of companies see a return on investment of 2x or more from personalization
80% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase when brands offer personalized experiences
91% of consumers say they are more likely to shop with brands that provide offers and recommendations that are relevant to them
66% of consumers expect companies to understand their unique needs and expectations
Consumer Preferences
- 180% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase when brands offer personalized experiences
- 291% of consumers say they are more likely to shop with brands that provide offers and recommendations that are relevant to them
- 366% of consumers expect companies to understand their unique needs and expectations
- 463% of consumers will stop buying from brands that use poor personalization tactics
- 572% of consumers say they only engage with marketing messages that are customized to their specific interests
- 674% of customers feel frustrated when website content is not personalized
- 770% of millennials represent the largest group of consumers to be frustrated by irrelevant emails
- 883% of consumers are willing to share their data to create a more personalized experience
- 956% of customers stay loyal to brands which "get them"
- 1096% of unhappy customers don’t complain however 91% of those will simply leave and never come back
- 1148% of customers have left a website without purchasing because they felt it served them poorly curating the experience
- 1233% of consumers will abandon a brand after just one bad experience
- 1351% of consumers expect that by 2020 companies will anticipate their needs and make relevant suggestions before they even make contact
- 1436% of consumers say they want more personalization in retail shopping
- 1590% of consumers find marketing personalization appealing
- 1686% of buyers will pay more for a better customer experience
- 1754% of customers say that companies need to change how they engage with them
- 1879% of consumers say they are only likely to engage with an offer if it has been personalized to reflect previous interactions
- 1940% of consumers wish brands would know more about their specific interests to improve the customer service
- 2052% of consumers are likely to switch brands if a company doesn't personalize communications to them
Interpretation
These stats deliver a blunt, witty warning: treat customers like strangers at a dinner party and they'll slip out the back, but treat them like someone whose favorite drink you remember by personalizing interactions, anticipating needs, and respecting their data, and they'll happily pay more, stay loyal, and even volunteer information to make the next visit better.
Direct Mail
- 1Direct mail has an average response rate of 9% for house lists
- 2Direct mail response rates are 5 to 9 times higher than any other advertising channel
- 373% of American consumers say they prefer being contacted by brands via direct mail because they can read it whenever they want
- 490% of direct mail gets opened by recipients
- 557% of consumers claim that receiving mail makes them feel more valued
- 660% of consumers say a physical letter leaves a lasting impression regarding the brand
- 742.2% of direct mail recipients either read or scan the mail they receive
- 8Oversized envelopes have the highest response rate at 5%
- 958% of the mail the households receive is marketing mail
- 10Direct mail requires 21% less cognitive effort to process than digital media
- 11Brand recall is 70% higher for direct mail than digital ads
- 1239% of consumers try a business for the first time because of direct mail
- 1370% of consumers have restarted a relationship because of direct mail
- 14Millennials are 26% more likely to respond to a direct mail piece if it contains a discount code
- 15Direct mail recipients purchase 28% more items and spend 28% more money than people who don't get that same piece of direct mail
- 1682% of millennials view messages printed on paper as more trustworthy than digital
- 17The average lifespan of a direct mail piece is 17 days
- 18Combining direct mail with digital ads yields a 118% higher response rate
- 19Direct mail offers a 29% return on investment
- 2031% of bright and colorful direct mailers are more likely to be opened
Interpretation
If you thought direct mail was dead, think again: with a 9% house‑list response rate that is 5 to 9 times higher than other channels, 90% of pieces opened, 70% greater brand recall, recipients spending 28% more and saying they prefer and trust physical mail, direct mail not only creates lasting impressions and restarts relationships but also delivers measurable results, including a 118% higher response when paired with digital and a 29% return on investment.
Email Marketing
- 1Email marketing generates $36 for every $1 spent
- 287% of B2B marketers say email is one of their top free organic distribution channels
- 399% of email users check their inbox every day
- 4Segmented campaigns have a 14.31% higher open rate than non-segmented campaigns
- 5Emails with personalized subject lines generate 50% higher open rates
- 6Sending 3 abandon cart emails results in 69% more orders than a single email
- 7Welcome emails have an open rate of 82%
- 840% of B2B marketers say email newsletters are most critical to their content marketing success
- 9Interactive emails increase the click-to-open rate by 73%
- 1059% of respondents say marketing emails influence their purchase decisions
- 11Tuesdays see the highest email open rates of nearly 18.3%
- 12The average unsubscribe rate for 2022 was 0.1%
- 1349% of consumers said they would like to receive promotional emails from their favorite brands on a weekly basis
- 14Mobile clients account for 41.6% of email opens
- 1564% of small businesses use email marketing to reach customers
- 16Adding videos to your email can increase click rates by 300%
- 1777% of marketers have seen an increase in email engagement over the last 12 months
- 18Emails that include social sharing buttons have a 158% higher click-through rate
- 1969% of mobile users delete emails that aren't optimized for mobile
- 2035% of marketers send their customers 3-5 emails per week
Interpretation
Email is the marketing workhorse that can return $36 for every $1 spent because nearly everyone checks their inbox daily, and when you combine segmentation and personalized subject lines with mobile friendly, interactive content like video and social buttons plus welcome and cart reminder sequences and a sensible weekly rhythm you dramatically increase opens, clicks and orders while keeping unsubscribes tiny.
SMS and Mobile
- 1SMS marketing open rates are as high as 98%
- 260% of consumers read texts within 1 to 5 minutes after receiving them
- 3SMS messages have a 209% higher response rate than phone, email, or Facebook
- 475% of customers prefer offers to be sent via SMS
- 548% of consumers prefer direct communication from brands via SMS
- 6The click-through rate for SMS marketing consists of 19%
- 791% of consumers are interested in signing up for texts
- 8SMS coupons are redeemed 10 times more than print coupons
- 958% of consumers say texting is the most effective way for business communication
- 10Mobile offers are redeemed 10x more frequently than print offers
- 1164% of consumers think companies who text value their time
- 1233% of mobile users have redeemed a coupon they received via text message
- 13Mobile drives 25% of all ecommerce traffic
- 1454% of consumers would like to receive marketing texts from businesses
- 1580% of people use text messaging for business
- 1643% of consumers text businesses proactively
- 17The average response time for a text message is 90 seconds
- 1877% of consumers have a positive perception of a company that offers text messaging
- 19Text messages create a 20-30% higher engagement rate than other marketing mediums
- 2067% of business owners who use text marketing see increased customer retention
Interpretation
Ignoring SMS is like standing in a crowded room and whispering, because with open rates up to 98%, 60% of people reading texts within five minutes, response rates over 200% higher than phone or email, coupon and mobile offer redemptions ten times greater than print, and most consumers actively wanting texts, SMS is the fast, preferred, and measurably superior way to drive engagement, sales, and retention.
Strategy and ROI
- 154% of marketers state that data quality is the biggest barrier to success
- 2Acquiring a new customer is anywhere from 5 to 25 times more expensive than retaining an existing one
- 376% of companies see a return on investment of 2x or more from personalization
- 4Marketers who prioritize blogging are 13x more likely to see positive ROI
- 572% of the most successful marketers measure the ROI of their content marketing
- 6Data-driven marketing increases ROI by 5 to 8 times
- 7Companies with strong omnichannel engagement strategies retain 89% of their customers
- 850% of total marketing budgets are now allocated to digital channels
- 9Inaccurate data costs U.S. businesses $3.1 trillion annually
- 10Marketing automation drives a 14.5% increase in sales productivity
- 11Companies that excel at lead nurturing generate 50% more sales-ready leads at 33% lower cost
- 1270% of marketers are actively investing in content marketing
- 1340% of marketers say proving the ROI of their marketing activities is their top challenge
- 14Retargeting ads are 76% more likely to be clicked on than regular display ads
- 1561% of marketers say generative AI will be the most important technology for their success in the next 12 months
- 1691% of the most successful users agree that data segmentation is a key enabler of their marketing success
- 17A 5% increase in customer retention can increase company profitability by 75%
- 18Businesses that use marketing automation to nurture prospects experience a 451% increase in qualified leads
- 1968% of marketing leaders say their company competes mostly on the basis of customer experience
- 2028% of marketers say they have reduced their advertising budget to fund more digital marketing
Interpretation
Think of direct marketing as a race where dirty data stalls the engine: with 54% of marketers naming data quality the biggest barrier and inaccurate data costing U.S. businesses $3.1 trillion, spending to acquire customers who are five to twenty-five times more expensive than keeping them makes no sense; instead personalization, which 76% of companies say delivers at least 2x ROI, combined with blogging (13 times more likely to yield positive ROI), marketing automation (14.5% higher sales productivity and 451% more qualified leads), retargeting (76% more clicks), omnichannel engagement (89% retention) and rigorous measurement and segmentation turns half of marketing budgets now spent on digital into higher retention, cheaper leads and dramatically better profitability, which is why 70% of marketers invest in content, 61% expect generative AI to be pivotal, and even a 5% lift in retention can boost profitability 75%.
